Panasonic LUMIX GH3 makes premature appearance

Panasonic has stolen its own thunder with the LUMIX GH3 micro four thirds camera, pre-announce posting a video of the new model and spilling its 16-megapixel sensor and 72Mbps video recording. The GH3 inclues a new Venus image processing engine and is clad in a magnesium alloy casing that, Panasonic says, is dust- and splash-proof.

The headline ability might be video recording, though details from the video are still scant. There’s HD recording at up to 72Mbps, an impressively high bitrate for a micro-four-thirds camera, and a 60p mode; it’s not clear whether that’s at full 1920 x 1080 resolution, however, or at a lower setting like 720p.

Controls look to include a flip-out LCD display as well as the usual clusters of buttons, and the lens – which we’re assuming is the standard kit lens – is an f/2.8 12-35mm.

We’ll undoubtedly know more when Panasonic makes the LUMIX GH3 official, which is likely to happen imminently if this video’s arrival is anything to go by. We’ll be keeping an eye out.